Former Sonics player charged in connection with Kirkland drug house raid

Former Seattle Sonics basketball player and Kirkland resident Robert Swift has been charged by prosecutors for possessing an illegal sawed-off shotgun in connection with the raid of an alleged meth house last month near Helen Keller Elementary in Kirkland.

By TJ Martinell • November 13, 2014 6:18 pm
This house in the Juanita neighborhood was the epicenter for a SWAT raid on Oct. 4. The house can be seen here shrouded in the trees and bushes while a neighbor walks along the sidewalk by a school zone sign. The home is 300 feet away from Helen Keller Elementary.
This house in the Juanita neighborhood was the epicenter for a SWAT raid on Oct. 4. The house can be seen here shrouded in the trees and bushes while a neighbor walks along the sidewalk by a school zone sign. The home is 300 feet away from Helen Keller Elementary.

Former Seattle Sonics basketball player and Kirkland resident Robert Swift has been charged by prosecutors for possessing an illegal sawed-off shotgun in connection with the raid of an alleged meth house last month near Helen Keller Elementary in Kirkland.

The King County Prosecutor’s Office has charged Swift with unlawful possession of a short-barreled shotgun, with bail set at $20,000. His arraignment is schedule for Nov. 26.

The shotgun was allegedly discovered inside of the meth house along with nearly 30 other firearms during a raid by Redmond and Kirkland Police during October.

The Reporter first broke the news that Swift was living in the Kirkland home after discovering that police had been called to the residence in the days following the raid. The police reports, obtained through a public information request, repeatedly mentioned Swift, and Kirkland police later confirmed his identity.

The owner of the home on the 14000 block of 108th Ave., Trygve Lief Bjorkstam, 54, has been charged by the King County Prosecutor’s Office with buying, manufacturing and selling methamphetamine and heroin.

Swift had been previously evicted out of his Sammamish home after it was foreclosed. At the time of the October police raid, he had been living in Bjorkstam’s home for six months, according to police documents. He was detained and brought to the Redmond Police Department, where he told investigators that he helped “clean the place up,” but wasn’t involved in the drug dealing. He admitted, according to the documents, that he had a heroin addiction and got his heroin from Bjorkstam.

Swift also told investigators that he had accompanied Bjorkstam to confront a drug dealer who had failed to give him $2,000 heroin. Swift stated that both of them were armed during the confrontation, the documents continue.

While being interviewed, Bjorkstam allegedly told investigators that Swift was “a good guy” and that he hadn’t been involved in any of the drug deals.

The sawed-off shotgun was a Winchester Model 37. The barrel length was only 11.5 inches long and had no visible serial numbers on it when discovered by police.